- PHOTO BY SUSAN SMITH
Sandra Samuels, managing director of Totally Male Ltd.
Susan Smith, Staff Reporter
TOTALLY MALE Limited is Jamaica's quintessential all male service which gives men a worthy image for a fraction of the price.
Located in the central but tucked away office of the former Island Life Centre in New Kingston, the business was established 10 years ago to specialise in masculine care.
"We cater to men only," stressed owner and managing director, Sandra Samuels, speaking to Wednesday Business. Some of the services include barbering, facials, massages, body scrubs, clothing, accessories, grooming and make over consultancy exclusively for men.
Ms. Samuels said the business concept started originally out of a need to educate men on how to take care of themselves. "It was a part of my mission to educate them."
Her professional grooming seminars in banks and institutions served as a precursor to the launch of the company. Although she considered it an excellent marketing tool for the launch, she had to depend largely on her business acumen to make Totally Male a success.
"At first, I concentrated on clothing but faced with the challenges of competing businesses like Max Brown and Carillon, as male clothing providers, I knew I had to do something to give me a constant rotation of customers," she said, pointing out that men do not buy clothes everyday.
It was the only one of its kind when she opened in November 1994 and still is. She estimates the initial cost in setting up her business back then as $500,000. "This was for setting up with the basic, having a manicure station and one massage bed. Everything was very compact then."
Totally Male cost a further $1.1 million in expansion. The shop space which is leased to her, was expanded from 700 square feet to 900 square feet. Today, the spa and salon has grown to accommodate three manicure stations, two massage rooms, four barber stations, a facial room and a boutique. "Fine tuning and tweaking the place, are the things that are costly because you have to keep current," she explained.
BENEFITS FOR MEN
Totally Male is the ideal place for the professional or conscious male who wants to maintain a well-groomed image but has little or no time, knowledge or help to do this. "We give personalised care, based on their personality," she stated.
Totally Male does not discriminate but according to Mrs. Samuels it seems to attract clients who are usually "business professionals or ambitious youngsters who don't have time for 'cas cas'. It's for people who operate by appointments and like their privacy," she said.
Women, other than the staff are not served at Totally Male unless they request a make over for the man, come to purchase an item for him or have a gift certificate.
Service at Totally Male Limited is strictly by appointment, however, the staff accommodates first time walk in customers as well. Ms. Samuels said appointments are kept on schedule and the instruments are sanitised. Prices are reasonable and in sync with her customers' priorities.
In addition, Totally Male has a call back system which reminds men of their next appointment. The clientele has been booming over the 10 years of existence. It now has over 1,000 clients up from about 100 in 1994.
The barbering generates the most business, according to the successful manager, who employs and trains her seven female staff members based on their personalities and good interpersonal skills.
She said her core business comes in by word-a-mouth advertising. "You don't have to sell the business when it is recommended," she commented. "Niche marketing is the best thing I did. Once you specialise in something, people seek you out,"
SHORT-TERM GOALS
Ms. Samuels' goal is to establish a men's club in another two years. She would like a holistic approach to the business, which she now describes as a type of men's club. She wants to introduce a lounge, a health bar and a gym. "A lot of high level clients who come here and relax are already networking," she said.
She has been approached about franchising and would like to establish another branch in a year or two but first needs to find the right business partner to do it. "Service is key and I don't want to lose that intimate setting and turn it into a factory."
The grooming guru gets a thrill from knowing that her clients feel good about themselves after a visit at the cutting edge, transformation centre.
